Storage-battery electrode and process of manufacturing it.



H. G. HUBBELL.

STORAGE BATTERY ELECTRODE AND PROCESS-0P MANUFACTURING IT. APPLICATION FILED JULYl 1911. 1,094,903. Patented Apr. 28, 19m

HARRY CROSS I-IUBBELL, F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

STORAGE-BATTERY ELECTRODE AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING IT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed July 17, 1911. Serial No. 638,942.

7 '0 all who/1b it may concern:

Be it known that I, l'lARRY Cross HUBBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hewark, in the county of Essex and State of Kew Jersey. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage Battery .lllectrodes and Processes of Manufacturing 'lhem. of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is an improved iron storage battery electrode and a process of making same.

Referring now to the accompanying draw iug: Figure 1 a diagrammatic view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing me gas furnace 9, the cylinder 6 which is inserted therein. said cylinder containing a plurality of the hard moist cakes 5, the vent hole 8 formed in the cylinder. and the cover T. all hereinafter referred to; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view. showing the plunger 11 which is utilized to cooperate wit-h the die 12 in forming tablets 13 from the mixture 10 deposited within hopper 12, all as hereinafter referred to; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electrode hereinafter described, showing in assembly the tablets 13, the conducting strip 14; and the gauze envelop 15. all hereinafter referred to: and Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 3, of another type of electrode hereinafter described, showing in assembly the tablets 13, the conducting strip 1 k and the gauze envelop 15, all hereinafter referred to.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The preferred process is as follows :I precipitate ferrous hydroxid from a solution of the sulfate with sodium hydroxid. This hydroxid in the form of a slime is immediately pumped into a filter press and washed. to clear it of sodium sulfate. Upon removal from the filter press, these hard, moist cakes 5 (these cakes being shown in Fig. 1 in illustration of a subsequent treat- 5 ment thereof) of washed ferrous hydroxid are rapidly put into jars and tightly stoppcred to prevent atmospheric action. The contents or part of the contents of these ars, as the said cakes 5 shown in Fig. 1, are sub sequently dumped into an iron cylinder 6 provided with an air tight cover 7. A small vent hole is provided in the top of the cylinder 8. This cylinder and its contents are now slowly heated in a gas furnace 9 until all the water is driven off in the form of steam. Then the temperature is raised until the cylinder has reached a dull red heat to effect the change of the ferrous hydroxid to the monoxid. The vent. hole is then closed and the cylinder and contents cooled. This iron monoxid is then ground up with cadmium oxid in amount suflicient to equal about ten per cent. (10%) by weight of-the total, and the resulting mixture 10 (Fig. 2) is then briqueted into small tablets each about square and H thick. Exposure to the air makes no substantial change in the material of these tablets. To use them in an electrode, 1 place the tablets (shown in section in Figs. 3 and fl: and designated by the numeral 13) flat against both sides (as shown in Fig. 3) of a conducting strip 14 preferably of nickel 19;x5 for a small portable battery, which permits 18 tablets to be applied to each side of the strip. I then fit the whole into a containing envelop of nickel plated gauze, thus completing my double electrode for use between end-eleo trodes. On the other hand. each end electrode an illustrative type of which is shown in Fig. 4) has the tablets 13 on only one side of the conducting stri l -l, which then forms a non-perforated wall of the container for the tablets, the other wall consisting of the nickel plated gauze 15. The new material gives me an electrode for an alkaline storage battery that is reduced on charge and I find it to be extremely active and efficient. Further. it makes it unnecessary to incorporate conducting nickel filaments or other materials therewith to give conductivity, etc.

What I claim is:

1. The process of making the active material for a storage battery electrode which comprises precipitating ferrous hydroxid from a solution of a salt of iron, filtering and washing the precipitate, heating it without substantial exposure to the air to drive oif the free water from the precipitate and then to a dull red heat to convert the hydroxid to iron monoxid, cooling without substantial exposure to the air and briqueting the oxid into tablets suitable for insertion into the pocket of the containing envelop of a storage battery electrode.

2. The process of making the active material for a storage battery electrode which comprises precipitating ferrous oxid from a solution of a salt of iron, filtering and washing the precipitate, heating it without substantial exposure to the air to drive oil the free water from the precipitate and then to a dull red heat to convert the hydroxid to iron nionoxid, coolingwithout substantial ex iosure to the air, grinding the iron monorid with a proportion of cadmium oxid, and briquetino the mixture into tablets suit able for ii'isertion into the pocket of the containing envelop of a storage battery electrode.

The process of making the active mate rial it a storage battery electrode Which co-mpi ses converti' precipitated ferrous hydroxid into iron monoxid by heating it Without substantial erzoosure to the air. cooling the monoxid unuer the same condition 1nd briuuetin; it into tablets suitable for usertion into the pocket of the containing nvelop of a storage battery electrode.

t. [the process of making the active material for a storz battery electrode which comprises converting precipitated ferrous A w- A,

h -xhroxitl into iron monoxid by heating it v without substantial exposure. to the air, cooling the oXid under the same condition and 1 applying it to the pocket of the containing envelop oi storage battery electrode.

The process of making the active matei rial for a storage ba very electrode which menace comprises converting precipitated ferrous hydroxid into iron monoxid by heating it Without substantial exposure to the air, cooling the monoxid under the same condition, mixing it with a proportion of cadmium oXid and briquoting the mixture.

6. An alkaline storage battery electrode which comprises a conducting containing envelop and active material contained there in, consisting of iron monoxid reduced from precipitated ferrous hydroxid by heat without substantial exposure to the air and cooled under the same condition.

7. An alkaline storage battery electrode which comprises a conducting containing envelop and active material contained therein. consisting of iron monoxid reduced from precipitated ferrous h wlroxid by heat with out substantial exposure to the air and cooled under the same condition, said active material further consisting of a proportion of admixed cadmium oXid.

\ In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature 1 in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY R SS HUBBELL.

iVitnesses E. WV. Sonnnn, Jr. S. S. NEWTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. *0. 

